A 1927 Art Deco theater on the National Register of Historic Places in Paris, Texas, where cast and crew report a protective presence at the box office and a spirit called Annabelle known for interfering with sound equipment and costumes
35 NW First St, Paris, TX 75460
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Ticket pricing depends on current production; check the Paris Community Theatre website for schedule and admission
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic theater with level main floor; older building may have limited backstage accessibility
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1927 · National Register of Historic Places — Art Deco theater · Original Plaza Theatre 1927 · Northeast Texas Paranormal Society investigation · Lamar County historic cultural venue
The Paris Community Theatre operates out of a building constructed in 1927 and originally known as the Plaza Theatre. The Art Deco design reflects the architectural style that swept American movie house and performance venue construction during the mid-1920s, and the Paris building retains much of its original character. Its listing on the National Register of Historic Places recognizes its architectural significance and its role as a civic anchor in Paris, Texas.
Paris is the seat of Lamar County in northeast Texas, established in the early 1840s and named after the French capital in the spirit of the era's European-inflected place-naming. The town square preserves late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century commercial architecture, and the theater building stands as one of the more intact examples of 1920s entertainment venue design in the region.
The Northeast Texas Paranormal Society conducted a formal investigation at the Paris Community Theatre, producing documented findings that have been referenced in local coverage of the venue's paranormal tradition. The investigation placed the theater within the society's database of northeast Texas sites with notable activity.
Sources
The Paris Community Theatre's paranormal tradition centers on two distinct presences reported over the years by theater workers and performers.
The first is described as a protective figure, identified as an usher, who reportedly appears at or near the box office when women are working alone in the building. This presence is characterised in local accounts as non-threatening — witnesses describe a sense of being watched over rather than menaced. The figure has not been attributed to any specific historical individual.
The second is a spirit known among theater staff as 'Annabelle.' Her defining behavior, according to cast and crew, involves interference with the theater's operations: adjusting or disabling sound equipment, and manipulating costume pieces — moving, hiding, or rearranging items. These events have been reported consistently enough that Annabelle has become part of the institutional culture of the theater company. The name 'Annabelle' is a name given by theater tradition, not a claim of historical identity.
The Northeast Texas Paranormal Society investigated the theater and published their findings through the myparistexas.com platform, adding institutional documentation to the theater community's longstanding oral tradition.
Notable Entities
The Paris Community Theatre operates an active community theater season in the 1927 Art Deco building. Performances run throughout the year, and attendees share the space with the theater's resident paranormal tradition. Check the website for current production schedule.
The 1927 Art Deco facade of the former Plaza Theatre is visible from the downtown square. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Exterior viewable during daylight hours; interior access requires attending a performance.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Texarkana, TX
The theater opened November 18, 1924, built by the Saenger Amusement Company as its Texarkana flagship, designed by architect Emil Weil in Italian Renaissance style. After closing in 1977, it reopened in 1979–80 following a $2.5 million restoration, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Texas State Landmark, and was renamed for Texas billionaire Ross Perot.